It is necessary to say good-bye to your smoking habit if you wish to live a healthy life. You know the well being hazards already, and I’m positive you have noticed all the advertisements. Smoking is lethal to you and people around you, leading to lung, coronary heart, and throat, diseases. One step at a time you can make adjustments in they means you live. You can discover strength by making small modifications at first, giving your physique the chance to heal. One factor you have to be willing to do and that is ask for assist from others. Reading this bit of knowledge can be a very good step, however it’s only a step. Cleansing of your physique and spirit for improved mental and bodily strength is the purpose of this information I have provided. The energy to stop smoking is basically out of your mind and emotions, do you think that is funny? You can stop smoking if you can control your physical body and its desires.
1. Do not depend on substitutes for your cigarette smoking addiction.
Trade your habit for gum and patches is what the commercials wish for you to believe. If you accept as true them you will never find out how to regulate your body on your own. If each of the commercials were right no one would be smoking. These products fill the pockets of massive companies with great profits. Really do you suppose that trading one behavior for an additional one is an effective solution to get management of your physique and mind? Using assistance from a services or products might help you management your cravings for some time; however only for a brief time. This power or control is a fake sense of success which is dangerous. You may have wasted all of your time, effort and money the first time there is a real demanding event.
2. To quit smoking begin a daily working out program.
Regular work out is a good way to relieve stress and offer you time to think. When your physical body becomes stronger it is going to repair on its own. Remember your physical body has been polluted for a long time, so it will take lengthy regular training to drive out the toxins. Go very slow, it’s best to even consult a doctor first. You ought to stop for the day should you feel shortness of breath or chest discomfort, you can try once more the next day.
3. Have a proper food plan to help stop smoking.
By smoking you have been starving you body of the needed vitamins and minerals it must be healthy. Begin with a balanced diet, good uncooked fruits and vegetables. Make sure to consume a number of occasions a day. Cut out the fast foods which have loads of fats and very little value. Cut out the worthless drinks like coffee, alcohol, sweets like candy, and eat more whole wheat, organic non-processed foods. Gaining extra body mass is a common side effect whenever you stop smoking, so watching your extra body mass is critical. Craving anything you possibly can put in your mouth is regular, so be careful.
With the push today to get everybody to quit smoking, today a smoker can choose a wide range of stop smoking treatments of his own personal choice. With different choices of a stop smoking treatment coming out all the time, if one doesn’t work for you then another one may – or you can choose several types of treatment to work together.
But the best stop smoking treatment will be your own determination and will to want to quit – if you don’t want to, then the entire stop smoking aids together will not work. Once you decide to quit, and chose the date you are throwing away your last cigarette, the option you choose as a treatment is the one you are the most comfortable with: inhalers, patches, injections, pills, pills, or cold turkey. This can be natural or traditional medicine – with everything being a matter of personal preference or medical concerns.
The cold turkey method has an advantage over all other treatments, as the nicotine will be out of your system in just a few days. But the largest disadvantage is the withdrawals will be extremely intense and painful. But what happens is the body demands its maximum amount of nicotine that it has had over the years. Long-term heavy smokers use this method over all the others – about 90% of smokers will suffer through these first 72 hours to two weeks of exhausting and hard cold-turkey from nicotine to make the body 100% nicotine clean and chemical withdrawn.
And as you read this, you think of pain and suffering instead of a short period of withdrawal but of the 90% of smokers who use it, they have a larger chance of success than with the other stop smoking treatments. The body recognizes there will be no nicotine offered and the pain and withdrawal stress will disappear, as compared to a slow and easy treatment. The body knows it will eventually be getting some amount of nicotine, creating some form of chronic state of drug withdrawal. It is a matter of choice – two weeks compared to life.
If cold turkey doesn’t appeal to you, try one of the other popular stop smoking treatment for nicotine replacement therapy. It gives the smokers a wide range of products to choose from with each product releasing a small amount of nicotine into the body, negating the urge to smoke. Some of the nicotine products that have been developed to kill the smoking urge are: the nicotine inhaler, nicotine gum and the nicotine patch. Or the smoker can use a pill like Zyban to stop smoking.
Zyban prods the pituitary gland to release endorphins in the bloodstream, which, in turn, cause a positive upswing in the smoker’s mood. Generally, a Zyban course lasts 8 to 12 weeks and should be taken under medical supervision.
A few other unique methods is to quit naturally, using the time-tested Asian therapy of acupressure. In this therapy, silver needles are used to release energy inside the body while creating a sense of well being, assisting the smoker to combat withdrawal symptoms. Another way to combat withdrawal symptoms is to take laser treatment. The low intensity laser beam stimulates the release of endorphins, and kills the urge to smoke. Some smokers also use herbal cigarettes to give up the habit.
Besides this, the smokers can take the help of clinics or self-help groups that provide advice and guidance. Such clinics provide counseling to individuals who want to give up smoking. They conduct mind exercises to improve an individual’s will power and the desire to return to smoking. Hypnosis is yet another method that can be used to give up smoking.
Considerable self-discipline is needed for any of these treatments to work. More often than not, smokers give up smoking for a few days or a few weeks and then pick up the habit again. They need the support of family members and close friends during this troublesome period. To quit smoking and recover from the nicotine addiction is a period of readjustment of the mind and body. Over time, the body and mind combination heals itself and breaks free of the addiction, teaching itself to function without cigarettes or any form of tobacco on a dependency level.
The same way different people smoke and are addicted differently, they will also quit and recover in the same ways. Some can quit and walk away with no symptoms or problems, while others double over with pure intense physical pain with multiple symptoms. This is why there are so many different stop smoking treatments for assorted types of smokers. Know yourself and what works the best and the most efficient way.
Smoking has an addictive effect, due to its high nicotine content, and has become a hard habit to break for most people. Oneâ??s health, as well as those surrounding the smoker, is primarily at stake, and is the major cause of disorders such as lung cancer and heart attack.
To stop this from happening, many quit smoking pills such as Zyban and Chantix was developed and already out in the market for the cessation of smoking, along with nicotine patches and gums.
These drugs works by targeting and relieving the same receptors in the part of the brain that demands for nicotine. Gradual stop from smoking in the traditional way of limiting consumption per day would naturally cause withdrawal symptoms that usually last for several weeks.
However, manufacturers say that with the quit smoking pill, there will be no withdrawal effect since the pill would be recognized as substitute for nicotine by the brain. After a year of taking the pill, it yields thrice more effectiveness of a smoker quitting than other forms of treatment.
The craving for nicotine, of course, does not happen overnight. Although clinical results prove it to be significantly effective, a smoker must still have the will and determination to cease the habit and follow it through responsibly.
Experts may consider this as the magic bullet for smoking, but still place emphasis on the importance of the individualâ??s mentality. Aside from the health risks that come with smoking is the drain on the wallet. The quit smoking pill stands a good chance for an individualâ??s healthier future.
Herbal quit smoking aids have also become popular recently as they do not have side effects of stop smoking drugs. These new quit smoking supplements can help a smoker quit smoking as well as stop smoking drugs.
Discover how i stop my smoking addiction with the . Learn which works or which don’t.
We are simply told “just stop”. Stop smoking that is. If only it were that easy right? But the fact of the matter is that both psychological changes and psychological issues play a role in any program to stop smoking. It is not even easy for the most determined of people to flip a switch and stop smoking.
However, the commitment to quit has to be part of any program. On average, only 6% will be successful in quitting during their first attempt. Finding the willpower to make the decision a permanent thing is the key to success.
We all make small choices in any area of life. However, the big choices are rarely a matter of snapping the mental fingers and opting for a course of action. More thought and effort than that is needed. It is those twin helpers that are the link between willpower and achievement.
One of the major factors as to why people smoke is stress. And we all know that stress keeps on coming year after year. Something happens in our lives and we feel stress, therefore reaching for a cigarette to restore calm.
It is possible to interrupt that journey at several points along that moving train of events.
Begin slowly. Search for those times when reaching for a cigarette is just down to habit. The first thing you do in the morning is reach for a cigarette. If this is the case, then put them out of the way and exert willpower so as not to get them.
Delay your after dinner cigarette for a few minutes more to begin with and then longer and longer. It is these small victories that will reduce the quantity of cigarettes that you smoke every day and strengthen your willpower.
As your control over impulses is better gained, your self-confidence will grow. You will feel in control. This will reinforce the feeling of willpower, and you can direct events rather than them directing you.
The next thing to look at is the long term plan. Select a day to stop smoking. Estimate what date you will run out of cigarettes. Remind yourself of the high price of cigarettes, not only in dollars, but also health wise, and prevent yourself from buying anymore.
The first two weeks will be hard, which will make the largest demands on your willpower. The cravings will also be at their strongest during this time. The chemical changes that take place in your body will adjust to lower levels of dopamine, therefore flushing smoke ingredient-created compounds out of your body which will create an urge to resume.
Think of the long term consequences in order to help yourself. Keep photos of diseased lungs around the house and remember the times when you were short of breath when walking up a hill. Assist your willpower in every way possible.
Sticking to the plan for life is what follows next. This is the really hard part. Willpower not only selects an action today, but directs your life towards a better horizon.
Get lots of information about at http://stopsmokingprogramsplus.com. Discover the most successful and what might work for you. There is also information about why you need to stop smoking.
Herbal stop smoking methods really do seem the order of the day. When other popular methods such as nicotine replacement therapy and medication therapies are showing either their inefficacy or their potential dangers to the human system, it is but obvious that people want to play safe and go the natural way.
Herbs have also shown their efficiency at smoking cessation and that indeed helps a lot. In fact, it is not wrong to say that such methods have taken an important place on the smoking cessation shelf.
There are many reasons why herbal stop smoking methods work. First and foremost, herbs are natural products. They are derivatives of plants. As such, they are much safer than the medicinal therapies which include synthetic chemicals. People trust natural herbs more and do not mind introducing them into their bodies.
In addition, natural herbs do not have the long list of contraindications that chemical antidepressants have. Herbs can be safely used in almost all people, even with those who have some health conditions. And herbal stop smoking methods do not create the delusions and hallucinations that synthetic chemicals can do.
Though these methods seem to be new, they have been in use since centuries. Saint Johns Wort is a common herbal antidepressant that has been used since age-old times. Even common herbs like peppermint, spearmint and clove have the capacity to make the person actually hate the taste of nicotine.
This is an important point to ponder on. While conventional medicine therapies try to cure the addiction after it has occurred, herbal solutions prevent the addiction itself from happening in the first place. If a person is a mild smoker and he or she takes the herbal quit smoking formulations, then there is never a chance that they will convert into chain smokers. On the contrary, their addiction will be weaned away effectively.
There are many things that herbal medications can do for the smokers body. First and foremost, they will create distaste for the taste of nicotine itself, which will help to stop the addiction. But a sudden stop on nicotine might cause the person to enter into depression.
Herbal remedies can work here too. Most of the herbs used in herbal quit smoking formulations, like the SmokeRX, have antidepressant properties. They can positively stimulate the nervous system and help the quitting smoker to face the different pangs of withdrawal.
Last but not the least, herbal smoking cessation methods can flush out the toxins that years of cigarette smoking might have accumulated in the body. This is something conventional medicine cannot do. Within a few days of using herbal remedies for smoking cessation, the positive impact on health becomes noticeable. With a little more time, the body could revert to its original normal healthy state.
It is no wonder then that herbal stop smoking remedies are becoming so hugely popular. Their effectiveness has proven that they are today the best options available for determined smokers who want to give up their habit.
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Nicotine is such a powerful agent, it is not going to submit to any type of auto suggestion, or verbal arguments. When over the counter medications fail, any types of reasonings will not have the desired effect, you have another alternative to try—stop smoking herbal products. In any area relating to health, if past experience and experiments are any indications, herbal stop smoking methods are bound to succeed. Another important thing—they don’t create any side effects.
The connection of nicotine is directly with the brain. Even your intelligent brain thinks that nicotine is giving it the pleasure, and it accordingly sends you signals for more and more pleasure. You obey the command and light another cigarette. The cycle goes on and more and more pleasure is demanded. You become the cigarette addict. Now, smoking is not your view of life, it is a way of life.
There is nothing that the Nature does not know about you. It knows your strength. It knows about your weakness. It has remedies in store. This traditional herbal knowledge has brought the humanity from the brink of precipice many a times, in many areas. In the area of smoking also it is making significant contributions to make you quit smoking. The garden variety oats is used to treat opium withdrawal. With the application of the same reasoning, an alcoholic extract of the herb, in the form of a tincture is used for nicotine withdrawal. It has provided highly beneficial results.{mospagebreak}
Another mixture of the herbal tinctures of white-horse hound, mullein, green oats, peppermint, and golden seal, in appropriate quantities, put on the tongue in drops, whenever you have the craving to smoke a cigarette, gives you good results.
Acupuncture also does the supportive role. Mixture of the prescribed medicated oil is applied to the acupuncture points. This needs to be done by a acupuncture specialist only.
Many such natural herbal kits are available. Natural products also have taken the seat of over the counter medications. There are herbal aromas, herbal cigarettes, herbal liquids, herbal lozenges and many such products out to help you in your effort to stop smoking. Over all these products, one thing reigns supreme- Your strong will power to quit smoking for ever!
You may find it difficult to believe—but it is true! If you don’t smoke the next cigarette, and resist the temptation to smoke the next to next cigarette, you are on the winning spree. You have already purchased the last cigarette of your lifetime!
& Quit Smoking provides detailed information on stop smoking, how to stop smoking, anti smoking, quit smoking and more.
Recently, the herbal stop smoking techniques are becoming very popular. This article discusses some of the reasons why they are so much in demand. Today, these types of quit smoking methods are gaining a very good place in the area of smoking cessation.
Since a long time, dubious techniques such as nicotine replacement therapy and antidepressants were used by people who wanted to give up smoking, but that is no longer the case. People are awakening to the harmful effects of these therapies, and are also finding out the inefficacies of these methods.
It is understandable then that smokers who want to quit are doing it the natural way. Apart from that, herbs have proved themselves very popular in smoking cessation, and that is all the more reason why most people are going in for the natural method.
There are several benefits of using herbal stop smoking methods. Of course, the reason that these are totally natural and suitable for everyone’s body leads the pack. All herbs are plant products, and they have almost zero side-effects. There are no harmful chemicals being pumped in the body as with other methods. That explains their immense popularity.
Since this type of quit smoking method is suitable for all people, there are very few restrictions with them. These can be used safely even by people who have some medical problem, and cannot use antidepressants to stop smoking.
Again, antidepressants can cause delusionary episodes in people who use them for a long time; herbal quit smoking methods do not produce any mental effects.
It is now that herbal quit smoking products have become popular in many countries of the world, but the fact is that these therapies have been used since millennia in the eastern countries of the world. A very common example is the centuries’ old known use of St. John’s Wort, which has only today become popular worldwide as a natural antidepressant for people who are planning to stop smoking.
Similarly, traditionally used herbs like peppermint and spearmint are very potent in making the smoker dislike the very taste of the cigarette.
This in fact is one very poignant reason for the immense popularity of herbal quit smoking products. Medicinal therapies would try to wean a smoker away from the cigarette and help them cope with the depression that sets in. But herbal products will simply cause a dislike for the tobacco. That is very effective in giving up smoking. It also helps casual smokers from turning into chain smokers.
Creating a dislike for cigarettes is definitely a very strong point in favor of herbal stop smoking methods.
But even here, we have herbs that can help with depression pangs. There are one or two popular herbal quit smoking products available today, which can effectively lead the person out of depression within a very short period of time. And leave no lasting effects either.
However there are other herbal quit smoking methods available, which deal with nicotine withdrawal, cleansing the body of toxins and dealing with cravings. Look for the ones that give you a no questions asked 30 day money back guarantee. Those are the ones that work!
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There are 4 main styles of electronic smoking devices, e cigs, or eCigarettes people should be familiar with before they “take the plunge” and buy their first starter kit.
At first, these styles may seem familiar and obvious to you, but in the world of e smoking each style actually has practical value associated with it. In this article I will reveal each functional advantage and disadvantage, or pro and con for each style.
Style vs Type
I want to make one more important distinction between style and what I call “types” of e cigs. Style refers mainly to external appearances whereas type refers purely to function.
There are also 3 main types of electronic cigarettes that are typically referred to as 1-piece, 2-piece and 3-piece. If you would like to better understand how the 3 main types differ from the 4 styles you can read this article on the 3 main , but I suggest you read this article about style first.
If you are totally new to electronic cigarettes then you may want to start with a quick google for and e cigs FAQ (frequently asked questions) page before you continue.
The pen style is probably the least familiar style to most people so I will discuss this style and its pros and cons first.
As its name implies, a “pen-style” electronic cigarette is resembles an ink pen in size and shape, but without the shirt clip, so no pocket protector necessary!
Seriously though, pen-Style e cigs can also resemble cigarette filters you sometimes see rich people smoking in old movies, but maybe a little shorter.
The main advantage or pro of the pen style e cig is that it is a good balance between form and function. Even though they are about twice as long as a regular cigarette, they are still relatively small and skinny, but have larger nicotine refill cartridges and batteries that last longer and produce good vapor.
Another advantage of the pen-style ecigs is that most don’t resemble regular cigarettes in appearance and are NOT usually mistaken for regular cigarettes and therefore can almost always be smoked in non-smoking areas without much trouble.
At the time of writing this article it is technically not illegal to smoke an electronic cigarette in non-smoking areas because it is not considered a tobacco product and is not combustible.
In fact, establishments aware of the virtually odorless and non-combustible electronic cigarette (such as many casinos and some bars) actually encourage the use of electronic cigarettes to give their clientele an alternative to smoking where smoking indoors has been banned by law.
The only real con or disadvantage to the pen-style electronic cigarette is that if you are not used to the size or appearance of this style it may be awkward in social settings, at least the first few times you get together with friends. Strangers that smoke however, tend to be very friendly when inquiring about a pen-style e cig.
Mini Style e Cigarette
The mini electronic cigarette tends to be the most familiar to people as this style is the most similar in size and appearance of a real cigarette which can be both its main advantage and disadvantage.
Since pen-style e cigarettes came out first and were then miniaturized over time, the term “mini” however, is now really used to describe ANY electronic cigarette smaller than a pen style device.
In fact, e cigs that are closest in size to actual cigarettes such as the , are now sometimes called super-mini.
Since mini electronic cigarettes tend to look almost like a regular cigarette right down to the glowing cherry ember on the tip you will probably feel most comfortable in a social setting or with other smokers with this style.
Also, if you are trying to switch to smoking e-cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes then the mini e-cig style will require the least amount of adaptation of your habits and behaviors.
The disadvantage of the mini e cigarette being so similar to actual cigarettes is that it can negate one of the huge would-be benefits to smoking e cigs; smoking them in public.
Some businesses such as restaurants and other typical non-smoking areas such as airplanes not aware of e cigs may ask you to not use the devices on their premises even after some explanation just on principle.
Sometimes this disadvantage can be mitigated by choosing a mini style e cig with lighted tip in a color other than orange such as blue or green. This way, people may still be confused as to what you are smoking, but at least they can be reasonably sure that it is not a real cigarette.
The other disadvantage that comes with the small size of the mini electronic cigarette is that their small cartridges and batteries do not last near as long as the other larger styles so you will find yourself switching batteries and cartridges often.
The small batteries also sometimes have difficulty in producing copious vapor because the batteries aren’t quite as powerful.
Electronic Cigar Style e Cig
Of course, electronic cigars are made to resemble real cigars in size weight and shape. Since cigars tend to be larger than cigarettes and ball point pens there is a lot of space to work with in the design of these devices and a couple clear advantages that come at a cost.
The first major advantage of electronic cigars is that they have very large and powerful batteries and large refill cartridges although many electronic cigars are actually disposable and not meant to be refilled. A good disposable cigar however won’t quit for 1800 puffs on average. Non-disposable cigar style e cigs will not last quite as long.
Strong odor is a common complaint with regular cigars and pipes , but this is not a problem with electronic cigars and pipes because there is virtually no odor.
You even have greater flavor choices with electronic cigarettes and cigars so if you always wanted to be boisterous at a casino by smoking a cigar, but were never crazy about the taste of cigar tobacco, you can smoke cola flavor in your electronic cigar instead.
As stated earlier however, smoking electronic cigars comes at a cost. Even refillable designs often have the vaporizer heating element built into the body of the device.
This vaporizer component also known as an atomizer, wears out over a period of 6-12 weeks so if it is built into the body of the electronic cigar then it can’t be replaced like in the other styles.
When the atomizer in an electronic cigar dies, you usually have to buy a new housing or starter kit which can become expensive.
Disposable electronic cigars are more economical but offer less flavor choices.
Electronic Pipe Style
Electronic pipes of course look just like real pipes and can also be a more costly style.
Atomizers in electronic pipes are replaceable and the batteries / refill cartridges are large, but electronic pipes are not in as high demand so even the cheapest electronic pipe starter kits can be very pricy.
If you like the style and experience of smoking a pipe and just get complaints about the odor then the virtually odorless electronic pipe is for you.
Any flavor that is available in an electronic cigarette is also available in an electronic pipe.
Which Style is Best
After reading some of the pros and cons in this article you should be starting to get a feel for which e cigarette style will be best for you.
Most veteran e cig smokers have a couple different styles to suit their mood or circumstances so read some reviews to make sure the quality you are looking for is there and don’t be afraid to experiment.
There is actually a 5th style if you will, of full custom or modified electronic cigarettes that are far less common, but available to those trying to perfect their e smoking experience.
This 5th style includes electronic hookahs, so called USB pass-throughs that get power from a USB port, and a wide variety of many other variants that strive for optimization of form and function.
So, don’t give up. Smoking electronic cigarettes can be quite a bit different than smoking regular cigarettes but must people like it once they find the e cigarette style that suits them best.
While I think I covered everything in this article, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Visit the electronic cigarette review to see pictures of the and to find a comprehensive list of reviews and links to many suppliers of this break-though device.
Sparky has smoked e-cigarettes since 2008 and is the founder of the popular site .
The e-cigarette is rapidly gaining popularity with smokers. Because of their rising popularity, many companies have been started in the last few years to meet the demand for e-cigarettes. At first, most of the e-cigarette companies were located in China. However, there are now several American firms that have started to make and market the e-cigarette. Of the American firms, Blu Cigs, which is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is becoming very popular with many e-cigarette purchasers.
The Blu Cigs e-cigarette uses technology similar to other e-cigarette brands. Like most other e-cigarettes, the Blue Cigs e-cigarette is not really smoked but instead is “vaped”. That is because e-cigarettes do not burn anything. Instead, e-cigarettes vaporize liquid nicotine into a fine mist that is inhaled, hence the term “vape”. The liquid nicotine, which is contained in a special cartridge, is turned into a mist by mechanism known as an atomizer. The atomizer in the Blu Cigs e-cigarette is powered by a small rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Like many other e-cigarettes, the Blu Cigs e-cigarette uses an Light Emitting Diode (LED) that glows when a user inhales on it, mimicking the effect of a real cigarette. But, unlike most of the LEDs used in other e-cigarettes, which typically emit a reddish or orange light, the LED in the Blu Cigs e-cigarette emits a blue light. The blue light gives the Blu Cigs e-cigarette a distinctive look, setting it apart from other e-cigarettes. It also serves as a cue to others that a real cigarette is not being smoked, which is important in environments where real smoking is prohibited.
The Blug Cigs e-cigarette starter kit cost $59.95. At that price, the Blu Cigs e-cigarette is very competitive with other brands of e-cigarettes. The starter kit includes one e-cigarette, a pack for holding batteries and nicotine cartridges, two atomizers, one wall charger, a USB charger, and 25 Free liquid nicotine cartridges.
Finally, the liquid nicotine cartridges from Blu Cigs come in many different flavors. Flavors include tobacco, coffee, cherry, vanilla, and menthol.
More information on the Blu Cig e-cigarette can be found .
Ron J. Myers is an avid writer. His favorite topics are fitness and health. More of his work can be found .
If you are going to quit smoking cold turkey you should really rethink your plan. Smokers who try to quit cold turkey have a 1 in 10 chance of staying cigarette free for 10 weeks. Maybe you’ll be that one person who succeeds. Then again you might be one of those nine who don’t.
You know you’re motivated and you’re really ready to quit, but do you really know what you’re up against?
If your answer is an addiction to nicotine you’re right, but kicking that addiction is actually the easy part. What is far more difficult to change is the habit of smoking. Your brain is wired to demand a smoke when certain triggers occur. The more you smoke the more triggers you probably have.
Think about that for a moment. How many triggers have you accumulated over the years? Do you need a cigarette with your coffee? Can you go an entire evening at a bar without stepping outside for a smoke? What do you want to reach for after you’ve finished a meal? If you’re facing stress or a new problem do your hands instinctively go for the pack? How many times during a typical day do you reach for a cigarette without consciously deciding to smoke?
Let’s talk about the nicotine for a moment because that’s the easier of the two battles you face. The quit smoking patch will increase your odds marginally from 1 in 10 to 2 in 10 of becoming smoke free. The patch allows you to reduce your dosage and ease off the addiction typically over a four to six week period. The physical addiction is a challenge, but if you didn’t have the distraction of the habit, it would be a doable goal for most smokers. That’s the good news.
The bad news is you’re going to have to distract your brain and your body and create new habits in order to become a non-smoker. Someone once said that it takes 90 days of repetition to form a habit. So your challenge here will be to make the needed changes in lifestyle and keep at them for roughly three months. Your addiction will disappear about half way through but the habit will still be doing a number on your brain.
So how do you do this?
For starters you need a plan. Just saying you’re going to quit without any idea how is not going to cut it. At a minimum you need to:
Identify your triggers and plan on how you are going to substitute reaching for a cigarette. For example, after dinner pop a couple of mints instead of lighting up. This is a really important step. Here’s a hint. A big part of the satisfaction of smoking is the hand to mouth action. Try to make your substitutes include that like chewing gum, or a toothpick or straw. Just try not to make it eating!
Go on a drinking binge. A water drinking binge that is. Hydrating does wonders for the overall health of your body but will help in flushing out the nicotine and other toxins. At a minimum drink half your body weight in ounces each day. More is better.
Keep a diary of your progress or slip ups. Reducing your efforts to writing sends a powerful message to the brain that this is an important project. If you made it through the day without smoking, figure out why and write it down. The more you do this the more successful you’ll become. If you slip up, write down why so you’ll be aware of the problem and be able to avoid it in the future.
There are a number of exercises that are excellent for quitting smoking but the real trick lies in convincing your brain that smoking is a threat and not something that’s desirable. The only way to do that is to continue to resist its demands for a cigarette. This is going to be really difficult in the beginning because you also have the physical addiction to deal with. Be persistent.
Reward yourself for success. If you used to smoke a pack a day and you go a week without a smoke you just saved $35 to $40. Buy yourself something. Make it something durable like clothes or a DVD or a new pen so when you look at it you can associate it with not smoking.
It’s certainly not easy to quit smoking or break the smoking habit but the benefits of doing so are tremendous. Aside from the obvious health issues, you will no longer smell like cicaretes nor will your clothes, car or home. Your taste buds will return and food will be a new experience. And then there’s the money. If you smoke a pack a day you will be saving up to $2000 a year! Good luck with your efforts.
There is a way to ease out of the habit without having to but it’s not for everybody. Ironically it involves mimicking smoking. If you’d like to see how you can control your nicotine addiction just like the smoking patch and ease your way out of the smoking habit visit right now. Fight one battle at a time.
